Save Our Trains Mississippi want's to ask the passengers if they would like a Bus Connection between Meridian and Jackson Mississippi so you can connect with the City Of New Orleans to Chicago IL.
The idea that we have is run a Bus that would make the connection for train #58 the northbound City Of New Orleans and have a bus back to Meridian MS off train #59 the southbound City Of New Orleans.
Once this pole is done this information will be turned into Amtrak to see if we can't start this connection.
Please feel free to post any comments.
-------------------- Matt Marderosian Director Of Save Our Trains Michigan www.saveourtrainsmichigan
posted
This is a Thruway bus connection that I would use. Particularly if it could be booked using Guest Reward points.
In planning possible rail trips I've looked at that relatively short hop along I-20 many times and thought "If only I could originate in Atlanta and get the northbound 'City of New Orleans' out of Jackson." It would be great having an alternative to spending the night in New Orleans.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
i am the agent in meridian, ms. i see no reason why i cannot sell a ticket from mei to chi via jan. i just transfered here from mi in april 2005, in michigan we have bus connections from lansing connecting with trains to chicago out of battle creek also 6048/6030 out of lansing for washington and new york. i turn away alot of business in meridian for chicago. two day trip mei-chi via was. very simple and easy to set up this connection. thanks for listening mark
posted
This is probably not even necessary. Is not the train station and the bus station in Jackson MS the same place? Is nto the same now also true for Meridian?
looking at the current Amtrak schedule, we have southbound CityNO time: 11:20 am northbound CityNO time: 5:44 pm
Looking at the current Greyhound Schedule, we have 4 buses a day each way. (wow is that ever down! There used to be something like 10 or more!)
Lv Jackson MS 12:30 pm, Ar Meridian 2:00 pm if the train is late, there is Lv Jackson MS 6:30 pm, Ar Meridian 8:00 pm
Lv Meridian 3:55 pm, Ar. Jackson 5:25 pm since that is cutting it a little fine, maybe should use Lv Meridian 10:05 am, Ar. Jackson 11:35 am
And while we are talking about this area, if you are wanting to go from Jackson and connect to teh Crescent, you can
Lv Jackson 7:45 am, Ar Meridian 9:15 am, The northbound Crescent is scheduled to leave Meridian at 11:17 am
Reversing this, Sb Crescent scheduled to arrive Meridian at 2:50 pm This connects to the same greyhound, Lv Meridian 3:55 pm, Ar Jackson 5:25 pm if you miss this, then the nex is Lv Meridian 8:50 pm, Ar. Jackson 10:20 pm
Maybe just arrange so these existing Greyhounds can through ticket with Amtrak.
David, IF the Crescent is on time, the 3:55 pm bus out of Meridian would work quite well for what you are talking about.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Excellent point George. I rarely think to consult the Greyhound schedules anymore......seeing as how 90% of the Greyhound schedules I might have used here in North Carolina have been eliminated in the last couple of years.
And Mark, you have a lovely station in Meridian. One of the nicest the Crescent stops at.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
I started to post a comment on this a few days ago and got sidetracked.
A few years ago Amtrak was very close to initiating service connecting with the Crescent at Meridian that would provide service to Jackson, Shreveport and Dallas. I think mail was the major force behind it then.
Why not resurrect that effort. Many years ago you could travel on this route via the IC and TP with a travel time of about 12 hours (excluding some 30-45 minute stops) The NS and KCS (which also goes Shreveport to Dallas announced plans to spend big bucks to uprgrade the line and make it a major corridor that would reduce transit times and bypass New Orleans.
If you assume the Sunset will disappear, why not have the Crescent go to Dallas. It would provide service on a more direct route to the southwest from the east and could connect to the Texas Eagle in Dallas. The Eagle, with Senator Hutchinson's support I think will remain and continue on to Austin and San Antonio if not El Paso.
For New Orleans passengers, you could have a thruway bus connection at Meridian, a connecting train there if traffic warranted, or connect to the City of New Orleans at Jackson. The scheulde would have to be changed to have a decent time into Dallas and more viewliner equipment would probably be needed. Perhaps dropping the diner and 1 of the 2 sleepers at Atlanta or Birmingham would handle that.
Another option would be to have the Cresent continue to New Orleans with a connecting train of Superliner equipment from Meridian. Anyway, something to think about.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Let's not assume that anything disappears. Too many Amtrak routes already have. I feel like the Sunset route (west of New Orleans anyway) is as 'secure' as anything else in the national system right now.
Given the shortage of serviceable viewliner sleepers (not to mention a thousand other factors such as an absence of support for expansion coming from the white house), I feel that it is unlikely that even changing the western terminus of the Crescent to Dallas from New Orleans is not practical. (This would make it a two night trip instead of just one and require at least one more train to cover). Besides, it would be a tough sell to anchor the Crescent to anything but New Orleans.
Some interesting possibilities for western expansion might exist if the Crescent began originating in Washington and were converted to Superliner equipment (assuming that enough sleepers can be scraped together). Perhaps if the Sunset remains inactive east of New Orleans this new Crescent could split in Birmingham. The Dallas leg would continue through Meridian and the New Orleans leg would move south through Montgomery and Mobile. The prospect of forcing passengers from points north of Washington to change trains is not very attractive though and would likely hurt overall ridership.
But then.......given the current climate surrounding Amtrak, thinking about expansion or re-routes is dangerous. Our energy for now must be directed towards preserving the level of service that currently exists. When our administration talks of 'restructuring' Amtrak I perceive that as code for 'eliminating' as many long-distance trains as possible.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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